True or False: Nail Polish Will Get You Gay Bashed?

by Brandon Miller · 2010-10-26 06:10:00 UTC
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Regina is a major city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It's the capital, in fact, and the second largest in terms of population. Turns out it might also be a city with a serious problem of anti-LGBT violence.

Police are now investigating a brutal crime that took place in the city last week, outside of a downtown pizza shop. Three men allegedly attacked Aaron Hampton, a 27-year-old bisexual man, after they noticed he was wearing nail polish.

The shade was not disclosed. It appears to be silver or beige, but I don't think the homophobes were triggered by their desire for candy apple red nails.

According to Hampton, after the three men noticed his nail polish, they approached him and his two buddies to call him gay and swear in his face. The incident quickly turned violent, and when Hampton's friend tried to intervene, he was punched in the face. Hampton was hit numerous times and needed twelve stitches in his lip. According to his doctor, he will be scarred for life.

"It was an assault. They beat me. I wasn't fighting. I didn't even throw a punch," he told CBC News. "On my lip here, like it goes all the way through."

Rather than take the event and push its memory away, Hampton created a Facebook group to get the word out. Called Gay Bashing Exposed, his group aims to combat homophobia and hate crimes, as well as try and capture the three men at the center of this attack. Police are investigating, but they have no suspects yet.

"I've had friends who've been followed after leaving the gay bar," Hampton said. "They've been jumped and stabbed. A lot of people got it a lot worse, so I was lucky."

Lucky, huh? I sincerely hope that there comes a day where LGBT people don't have to feel "lucky" for not being stabbed.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Brandon Miller is a freelance writer and editor from Toronto, Ontario.
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